December 10, 2003
UK's Defra Revealed New Egg Stamping Rules With Effect From 2004
British farmers who sell ungraded eggs at farmers' markets have been warned they will have to register with the UK government and mark all eggs with a special code from July 1, 2005.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has revealed that new egg stamping rules, due to come into force on January 1 2004, will be extended in 18 months time to farmers selling eggs at the country's public markets.
Currently, all direct sales of ungraded eggs from the producer to the final consumer are exempt from the egg marking requirements.
But producers selling eggs at the farmgate, in farm shops and door to door will be unaffected by the new system.
Farmers who sell eggs graded as Class A, even if they have only a few hens, have already been warned they must stamp eggs with a distinguishing code from January 1.
All establishments with more than 350 hens will also have to register.